Living Alone Together - Chapter Seven
Two separate lives are lived side by side.
Chapter Seven.
Aislinn was feeling pretty bored as she waited for the meeting to be over.
Damien was good, but didn't have as much character to his presentation. Not like William who could talk an hour about socks and make it the customer believe their product was the most interesting thing in the world.
Suddenly, the men got up from their seats and shook hands as she jerked up in her seat. They seemed pleased.
Maybe she was just being bias. It looked like the customers were happy with the presentation. Then again, it was prepared by William.
Plastering a smile on her face, she tried to focus on the task at hand as she proceeded to book a follow-up meeting for this group with William and bade the group a good day.
Finally, she thought, home time.
Walking into the house, she called out for Pa. Hearing no answer, she figured he was out at the mall with his friends and went about making dinner for the two of them.
While letting the chicken roast in the oven, she thought she heard noises coming from the washroom. Walking slowly to investigate, she turned the light on and found her Grandpa trying to push at the wall.
"Who's there?! Aislinn, is that you?"
"Pa! What are you doing in the washroom with the light off?"
"I'm in the washroom?! I've been trying to get out of here all afternoon."
Aislinn didn't know what to make of this.
"You mean, you couldn't see anything?"
"No..."
"Where's James, Pa?"
"Cora said I don't have to babysit this week."
Leading her Grandfather back to his bedroom, she sighed. What is going on?! Could her Grandpa have lost his sight in such a short period of time? He seemed fine yesterday.
"Pa, when was the last time you got your eyes checked?"
"I don't know."
"Before Ma passed away?"
"Maybe a long time before that."
"Pa! You're not so young anymore. You have to get them checked! I'm making an appointment for tomorrow. How much can you see?"
Distressed was not the only way to describe how she felt.
She didn't care if she had to drag her Grandfather to the optometrist. This wasn't looking good. No pun intended, of course.
"Aislinn! Just let me rest."
"Sorry Pa. I'll bring your dinner in bed, ok?"
"I'm not hungry."
"No! You're eating something."
He really looked worn out.
Aislinn, took a long look at him and a tear escaped. Quickly wiping it before it had the chance to fall, she asked, "Pa you want to listen to tv?"
"Yeah, turn it to the news, baby."
Doing as he wanted, she left the room to call her sister.
After recounting the condition in which she found Pa, she said, "Cor, I'm afraid."
"Oh Aze, what do we do?"
"Some change needs to happen."
"Definitely," Cora agreed.
"Neither of us can afford to quit our jobs, so what next?"
"James and I could move back into the house. That way... Wait, that doesn't help."
"It could! The more people around Pa, the least likely he'd go into depression, yes? Especially since James will be there to keep him company, right?"
"It sounds good. And we can always get a babysitter. Do you think this could be reversed? Maybe it's some kind of freak accident that can be fixed?"
"You should know that I've already been hoping as much."
"Well, we don't know what's going on, yet. Will you be taking Pa to the doctor?"
"Can I ask you to sleep over for the rest of the week?"
"Sure. You think there'll be space enough for James and I to move back in?"
"Of course. Your old bedroom can be converted back into a bedroom. No one uses the sewing room anymore anyway. Not since Ma."
"I guess it will be easier for us all if there were more eyes on Pa."
"Yup. Knowing how stubborn he can get."
"Alright, so tomorrow you'll be here."
"Yes. It may take a week or two to move out of the apartment and in here."
"Ok. We'll talk some more tomorrow when we find out what's wrong. I gotta go and bring Pa his dinner."
"Give him a kiss for me."
"I will."
Aislinn put the phone down and brought her Grandfather his dinner.
"Pa... I'm going to check in on you in an hour. This dinner better be done!"
"So grouchy."
"Pa..."
"Ok. I will."
"Good," she replied giving him a big kiss on his forehead.
Later that night when she dropped off to bed, she dreamed no dreams.
Aislinn was feeling pretty bored as she waited for the meeting to be over.
Damien was good, but didn't have as much character to his presentation. Not like William who could talk an hour about socks and make it the customer believe their product was the most interesting thing in the world.
Suddenly, the men got up from their seats and shook hands as she jerked up in her seat. They seemed pleased.
Maybe she was just being bias. It looked like the customers were happy with the presentation. Then again, it was prepared by William.
Plastering a smile on her face, she tried to focus on the task at hand as she proceeded to book a follow-up meeting for this group with William and bade the group a good day.
Finally, she thought, home time.
Walking into the house, she called out for Pa. Hearing no answer, she figured he was out at the mall with his friends and went about making dinner for the two of them.
While letting the chicken roast in the oven, she thought she heard noises coming from the washroom. Walking slowly to investigate, she turned the light on and found her Grandpa trying to push at the wall.
"Who's there?! Aislinn, is that you?"
"Pa! What are you doing in the washroom with the light off?"
"I'm in the washroom?! I've been trying to get out of here all afternoon."
Aislinn didn't know what to make of this.
"You mean, you couldn't see anything?"
"No..."
"Where's James, Pa?"
"Cora said I don't have to babysit this week."
Leading her Grandfather back to his bedroom, she sighed. What is going on?! Could her Grandpa have lost his sight in such a short period of time? He seemed fine yesterday.
"Pa, when was the last time you got your eyes checked?"
"I don't know."
"Before Ma passed away?"
"Maybe a long time before that."
"Pa! You're not so young anymore. You have to get them checked! I'm making an appointment for tomorrow. How much can you see?"
Distressed was not the only way to describe how she felt.
She didn't care if she had to drag her Grandfather to the optometrist. This wasn't looking good. No pun intended, of course.
"Aislinn! Just let me rest."
"Sorry Pa. I'll bring your dinner in bed, ok?"
"I'm not hungry."
"No! You're eating something."
He really looked worn out.
Aislinn, took a long look at him and a tear escaped. Quickly wiping it before it had the chance to fall, she asked, "Pa you want to listen to tv?"
"Yeah, turn it to the news, baby."
Doing as he wanted, she left the room to call her sister.
After recounting the condition in which she found Pa, she said, "Cor, I'm afraid."
"Oh Aze, what do we do?"
"Some change needs to happen."
"Definitely," Cora agreed.
"Neither of us can afford to quit our jobs, so what next?"
"James and I could move back into the house. That way... Wait, that doesn't help."
"It could! The more people around Pa, the least likely he'd go into depression, yes? Especially since James will be there to keep him company, right?"
"It sounds good. And we can always get a babysitter. Do you think this could be reversed? Maybe it's some kind of freak accident that can be fixed?"
"You should know that I've already been hoping as much."
"Well, we don't know what's going on, yet. Will you be taking Pa to the doctor?"
"Can I ask you to sleep over for the rest of the week?"
"Sure. You think there'll be space enough for James and I to move back in?"
"Of course. Your old bedroom can be converted back into a bedroom. No one uses the sewing room anymore anyway. Not since Ma."
"I guess it will be easier for us all if there were more eyes on Pa."
"Yup. Knowing how stubborn he can get."
"Alright, so tomorrow you'll be here."
"Yes. It may take a week or two to move out of the apartment and in here."
"Ok. We'll talk some more tomorrow when we find out what's wrong. I gotta go and bring Pa his dinner."
"Give him a kiss for me."
"I will."
Aislinn put the phone down and brought her Grandfather his dinner.
"Pa... I'm going to check in on you in an hour. This dinner better be done!"
"So grouchy."
"Pa..."
"Ok. I will."
"Good," she replied giving him a big kiss on his forehead.
Later that night when she dropped off to bed, she dreamed no dreams.
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